Oswald Mathias NELSON

Oswald Nelson 1889-1953

Oswald Mathias NELSON (1889-1953) was the fifth child and the youngest son of Richard John NELSON and Helen Mary DUNCOMBE (Ellen). Ellen’s father was Mathias Duncombe who had been transported to Australia in 1836. Mathias was one of the earliest landholders at Tomerong purchasing 117 acres (Portion 9) in 1855. Ellen’s mother had been killed by Mathias when he struck her with a bridle at Brundee in 1857. It appears that Ellen’s brothers were active or resident at Tomerong in the early 1890s. Richard and Ellen came to live on the land that Mathias had purchased in 1855, prior to 1901 and perhaps as early as 1886. They had married in 1880. This land is now bordered by William Bryce Road to the north, the Princes Highway to the west and the village to the east.

It is most likely Oswald attended Tomerong Public School as did his younger sisters. Like many of this era the Nelsons would play for the local Cricket teams. Three of Oswald's brothers settled in New Zealand whilst two sisters would marry a Honeysett and Windley. Oswald is pictured in a photograph of the Watt & Mathie Sawmill at Wandandian about 1912 when he would have been 23.

In mid 1915, Oswald joined the 6th Reinforcements of the 20th Battalion of the Australian Infantry Force. He stated he was a labourer with his next of kin as his brother William. This was later changed to his mother Ellen of Tomerong, presumably because William was in New Zealand. Like locals Sidney Alexander WATT, Charles Edward BRYCE, Geoffrey Heydon LESLIE and Stirling Fritz BLACKET before him, Os embarked in Sydney on HMAT ‘Euripides’ on 2 November 1915 and disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt. Os was transferred to the 56th Battalion in Feb 1916.

The 56th took part in the Battle of Fromelles from 19 July 1916 and were the first Australian Division to fight on the Western Front. After this they moved to the Somme near the villages of Longueval and Montauban-de-Picardie. On the 2nd December four soldiers of the Battalion were wounded including Os. He received a shell wound to the left leg and was transferred to the 36th Casualty Clearing Station. The following day he was transferred to the 5th General Hospital at Rouen, 60km from the channel coast near the port of Le Havre. After gangrene developed his left thigh was amputated on 6/7 December and he was reported to be dangerously ill three days later. On the 16th a message was sent to his mother advising of his wounding. After becoming dangerously ill again on Christmas Eve, a telegram was sent to his mother in Tomerong on the 30th and his wounding was reported in the Milton Times. He was transferred to England on the Hospital Ship (HS) ‘Patrick’ and admitted to the 1st London General Hospital at Camberwell on 7 January. His mother was advised that he was presumed out of danger on 13 January and of the amputation on 26 January 1917. Only a week or so after Oswalds mother, Ellen, received this advice, Os’s father died after a short illness that had begun with ear trouble. He was 63. Os embarked on HS ‘Karoola’ on 25 November 1917, in Liverpool, for return to Australia.

In July 1918 Os became Tomerong's Baker. He married Eleanor (Nellie) Chapman in Newtown in 1922 and they moved to Huskisson where Os became a hairdresser. He was a guarantors for an improvement loan for the Huskisson Literary Institute (School of Arts) which was later leased as the Huskisson Pictures. He was Treasurer of the Huskisson Cricket Association in the early 1930s.

Os died on 18 January 1953, aged 63 in Marrickville, where they were living. Nellie moved to Campsie prior to 1967. Oswald Nelson’s service is commemorated on the Nowra Showground Memorial Gates, the Nowra Post Office Shoalhaven Honour Roll, the Nowra Public School Honour Roll, Milton – Ulladulla RSL Honour Roll, the Milton Congregational Church Honour Roll and the Milton and Ulladulla War Memorials.

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Images

• School Certificate TP4848.
• 56th Battalion Guedecourt TP4850.
• 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital TP4850.
• Photo
• Shoalhaven Honor Roll TP3410.
• 1925 Norman's Birth
• Tomerong Anzacs TP4828.
• Origin Map TP6266.

Links

1. Tomerong Local History Web Page- tomeronghistory.com
2. Tomerong Past Facebook Album- Tomerong Past Facebook This site may provide more information relative to this family. Check the 'Families' and 'Monuments' albums and those institutions that the family contributed to e.g. 'School', 'Anzac', 'Clyde Shire' etcetera.
3. Tomerong Anzacs TP4828- Tomerong Anzacs
4. Oswald Nelson Wikitree- Oswald Nelson Wikitree